October 7, 2001
President Speaks at 20th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Tribute
(The First Lady's, Mrs. Laura Bush's Remarks From Memorial For Victims Of Flight #93 Are Noted Below)
Remarks by the President at 20th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Tribute
National Emergency Training Center
Emmitsburg, Maryland
9:48 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Joe, thank you for those kind words, and thank you for your outstanding service in a difficult time for our great land.
I want to thank Hal Bruno and the directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for the outstanding leadership they have shown in recognizing America's heroes.
I want to say thanks to the members of the Maryland delegation who are here -- Senator Sarbanes, Senator Mikulski, Congressman Hoyer and Congressman Bartlett. I want to thank you all for being here. I want to thank the local officials who are here. I want to thank the firefighters from all around America who have come to comfort the families of the fallen.
I want to say hello to moms and dads and husbands and wives and sons and daughters of the fallen. Laura and I are honored to be here with you today, as we remember the lives and sacrifices of your brave relatives.
Two years ago this weekend, I attended a memorial ceremony in New York City honoring fallen firefighters. And standing nearby were Chief Peter Ganci and many others who are now gone. None of us on that day could have imagined what was to come, the scale of the emergency, the enormity of the danger, the magnitude of the evil. Yet, each one of those firefighters felt a strong calling and knew its risks.
On September 11th, that calling led them into burning towers on a mission of rescue. Within a single hour, more than 300 firefighters were lost. And our nation still mourns. They did not live to know who had caused the destruction, or why. They only knew their duty. And that was to go in, to follow the faintest cry, to search for the trapped and helpless, and to save those who could be saved.
A few days ago, one New Yorker described firefighters as "the kinds of guys you look up to." Every one of you here knew exactly what he meant. The courage and loss we saw in New York is found in every community that has laid a firefighter to rest. Hardly a week passes in America when a career or a volunteer firefighter does not fall in the line of duty.
Fire-fighting is a hard and demanding job. And it may at any moment send a person to the high heat or thick smoke. It's been said that a firefighter's first act of bravery is taking the oath to serve. And all of them serve, knowing that one day they may not come home.
Today we honor 101 who did not come home. They were all people who accepted the dangers of fire-fighting, and were last seen on duty. We add their names to this national monument. We do so with pride, and with deep gratitude.
The nation pays respect to them for their service and their sacrifice. And we respect you, their families, for your sacrifice -- for the heavy burden you carry to this day. The McCormicks of Arkansas; the Hendricks of Kentucky; the Pascatores of Pennsylvania -- each lost a son who was not yet 20 years old. The families of Bo Rathbun of Wyoming; Jim Reavis of Missouri; Fred Brain and Pete Scannell of New York; Kenneth Jesse of Pennslyvania. Lost loved ones who were willing to serve, even in the latter years of life.
Many were taken during the fullest days of life, that time when we are needed most by the people we love. Kimberly Smith of Texas was engaged to be married. Robert Crump of Colorado was home after honorable service in the Marine Corps. Marvin Bartholemew of Florida had paid his way through college and was working his way up the ranks of the department.
Roger Bookout was 34 years old when he died, and he was a loving dad. He had a great outlook, and it was summed up on a sign he kept on his locker -- "Love your wife; love your life." All these firefighters loved life. And Scripture teaches, there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another.
Sometimes a person cannot know for sure what mark he or she has left on the world. That will never be said of the people we remember today, or of their kind. They were strong and caring people, brave and upright. You could always count on them. You could always look up to them.
This firefighters monument belongs to the nation, and represents a national loss. The firefighters belong to you. And I know that loss can never be recovered.
A fireman's widow recently said that her husband was her hero, "and there's nothing I wouldn't do to have my hero here." That same feeling is shared by many here today, and time won't ever take it away. But the years can bring comfort -- and they can bring hope. You'll always know that your hero died in the service of others. You can give one another the strength to go on. You can find the comfort of God, who is with us, especially in sorrow. And you can know today that your loved ones are not forgotten. They hold an honored, cherished place in the memories of their comrades, and an honored place in the memory of our country.
God bless you all. (Applause.)
END 9:55 A.M. EDT
REMARKS BY MRS. BUSH
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR UNITED FLIGHT #93
Monday, September 17, 2001
Remarks by Mrs. Bush at Memorial Service in Pennsylvania
(As delivered)
Thank you, Governor Ridge, for those words of encouragement, and for your leadership during this time of sadness for your commonwealth and our country.
This has been a week of loss and heartache of a kind none of us could have ever imagined. What happened in New York City, in Washington, and here in Pennsylvania, caused deep suffering across our country.
We are still grieving as details become known � and especially as we learn the names of the lost, the story of their deaths, and the story of each of their lives. All of us, as Americans, share in this grief.
The burden is greatest, however, for the families � like those of you who are with us today. America is learning the names, but you know the people. And you are the ones they thought of in the last moments of life. You are the ones they called, and prayed to see again. You are the ones they loved.
A poet wrote, �Love knows not its own depths until the hour of parting.� The loved ones we remember today knew � even in those horrible moments � that they were not truly alone, because your love was with them.
And I want each of you to know today that you are not alone. We cannot ease the pain, but this country stands by you. We will always remember what happened that day, and to whom it happened.
I know many of you have felt very directly the compassion of America, both in the communities where you live and in this community where we meet. And on behalf of my husband and the nation, I want to thank every person who has reached out to you with words of sympathy and acts of kindness.
In hours like this, we learn that our faith is an active faith � that we are called to serve and to care for one another � and to bring hope and comfort where there is despair and sorrow.
All of this is the work of the living. And as it begins, however long it lasts, we will always hold close to the memory of those who have been taken from you and from us.
One of last Tuesday�s victims, in his final message to his family, said that he loved them and would see them again. That brave man was a witness for the greatest hope of all � and the hope that unites us now. You grieve today, and the hurt will not soon go away. But that hope is real, and it is forever, just as the love you share with your loved ones is forever.
PRESIDENT BUSH TO HONOR NATION�S FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS 7 OCTOBER 2001
EMMITSBURG, Maryland
President George W. Bush will lead the nation in paying tribute to the firefighters
who died in the line of duty last year. Mrs. Bush will join him at the 20th annual
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial service
on October 7, at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD.
The outdoor service will begin at 10 a.m. EDT, on the site of the National Fallen Firefighters monument.
The names of 101 firefighters from 38 states and Puerto Rico will be
added to the monument. Their families, co-workers and firefighters from
across the nation will participate in the traditional ceremony and other
activities that are part of the memorial weekend, including grief
counseling seminars on Saturday.
This year�s memorial service and a candlelight ceremony on Saturday
evening will pay special tribute to the more than 300 New York City firefighters
who were killed at the World Trade Center. Their names, and the names
of others who died in the line of duty in 2001, will be inscribed on the
monument at next year�s ceremony.
"We are honored that the President and Mrs. Bush will join us at
this year�s ceremony," said Hal Bruno, chairman of the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation. "The memorial weekend not only pays tribute
to the men and women who died protecting their communities, but also gives
new strength to their families. We know from experience that our
counseling and support programs help the survivors rebuild their lives and go forward
to the future."
Sunday�s program will start at 8:30 a.m., with a private service
for the families in the Fallen Firefighters Chapel, followed by the public
service at 10 a.m. Thousands are expected to attend and it will be
televised national and broadcast live via satellite, enabling fire departments
across the country to view the national tribute. Many will hold ceremonies
of their own and observe a moment of silence at noon, followed by the
sounding of sirens and tolling of bells.
"Each year we honor America's fire service heroes who gave their life
in the line of duty to serve their communities," said Joe Allbaugh,
director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It is with a heavy heart
that we honor those who perished in 2000, and we take time to give special
recognition to the more than 300 fire service heroes lost in battle from
the Fire Department of New York on September 11."
"Every firefighter lost is a national tragedy, and we will continue
to work with state and local governments in partnership to provide the resources
and programs necessary to reduce the number of line of duty deaths and to
work to comfort their loved ones who have been left behind."
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is responsible for the
memorial and programs that provide counseling and support for the survivors of fallen
firefighters. It also runs training programs to prepare fire
departments to cope with line of duty deaths. The Foundation currently
is assisting the Fire Department of New York in providing counseling
and support services for the families of firefighters lost at the World Trade
Center.
An average of 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. The 98 men
and three women being honored at this year�s ceremony include 99
from last year and two from previous years. Since 1981, the names of
2,181 men and women have been inscribed on the monument.
For further information, contact the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
at 301-447-1365 or visit our web site at www.firehero.org.
Important Note: Due to increased security on the National Fire Academy
Campus, all attendees must have a photo ID and arrive early. Parking
for the general public will be off-campus and shuttle buses will bring
passengers to the site. Please check the web site for details on
off-campus parking.